Dubai's expo expansion continues

Dubai: Your ears pop when you take the express lift to the 33rd floor of the World Trade Centre, where the who's who of Dubai meets at its exclusive, private club.

The view from the club's huge windows is dramatic and even the infinite line of cars on Shaikh Zayed Road look picture-postcard perfect.

Since 1979, the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has played a huge part in cementing Dubai's reputation as a dynamic business hub and has helped facilitate trade worth billions of dirhams.

For about 20 years the World Trade Centre was the only tall building on Dubai's main arterial road, and the tallest in the region.

But times have changed, and Azeem Aziz, a web designer, describes it on his blog. "When I was kid and lived in Abu Dhabi, I used to be amazed at how tall the building was. Now the height of the building is insignificant compared to the rest of the buildings in Dubai," he says.

Now, if you are driving down from Jebel Ali, you will only be able to catch your first glimpse of the World Trade Centre when you reach the Oasis Tower, as it is hidden behind taller towers lining the road.

"I remember when visitors came to Dubai, friends brought them here to see the World Trade Centre," says the DWTC spokesperson. "It was a prestigious address for top, high-end clientele."

Top security

Today, the World Trade Centre houses seven consulates including the American, Turkish and Japanese, a trading floor of the Dubai stock market on the ground floor and offices of some of the biggest names in the international corporate world. The tenants obviously do not mind the top security here, where everyone going in has to pass through an electronic gate.

From the World Trade Centre Club you can see how successful Dubai has been in attracting people to come here, network, wheel and deal, sell or buy. For the recent Arab Health expo, the Centre had to turn away exhibitors because of lack of space.

The first exhibition was held on its ground floor and the first dedicated hall opened in 1982. The expansion has been especially fast since 1996, when halls number five, six and seven opened.

Dubai held 108 expos last year and to meet the growing demand for space, DWTC took over management of the Airport Expo in 1999, says a spokesperson. Besides this, Dubai hosted 200 conferences and conventions. "It's choc-a-bloc," says the spokesperson.

In 2002, the Shaikh Rashid Convention Hall opened ready for the IMF-World Bank meeting held in Dubai the following year. The latest addition to the trade centre exhibition halls was in 2005 when Za'abeel Hall was built.

The expansion continues still. By next year, a 120,000 square metre Dubai Exhibition City will be built near the new airport in Jebel Ali and will linked to the city by the Metro. looking ahad, Dubai has already planned the Dubai Trade Centre District, a $2.1 billion (Dh7.7 billion) facility that will be capable of hosting the world's largest and most prestigious exhibitions and events.